Explosive spearhead



Unted States Patent O 3,274,936 EXPLOSIVE SPEARHEAD Salvatore `lohn Messina, Cortaro, Ariz. (4526 E. 20th St., Tucson, Ariz.), and Joseph Herndon Pulliam, 2652 W. Arthur Place, Tucson, Ariz.

Filed Aug. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 391,886 1 Claim. (Cl. 102-48) This invention relates to an explosive Spearhead and more particularly to an underwater quick reload explosive Spearhead.

As conducive to a better understanding of the instant inventive concept, it should be recognized that those underwater spearheads currently in use are designed for impaling of the target for subsequent capture. Such devices While comparatively useful for Sportsmen engaging relatively small marine animals or fish, are not particularly eicient in the killing of larger game. Furthermore, since they are constructed to impale the target, they are diicult to reuse, requiring the sportsman to carry a plurality of spears in the event the first is not fully effective. Even in those instances where the Spearhead includes an explosive device, their penetrating feature renders them dii-licult to reload.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an explosive Spearhead free from the foregoing and other such disadvantages.

Another object of this nvention is to provide an explosive spearhead which does not penetrate the target, but rather delivers a shot charge and the expanding gases of a round of ammunition directly into the targets body.

A further object of the instant invention is the provision of such a device which is particularly designed for underwater use and which includes a construction capable of being quickly reloaded for subsequent shots.

Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide an underwater quick reload explosive Spearhead which may be either launched by hand or from any conventional gun-type launching means.

A still further object of this invention is to provide such a device which maximizes personal safety and the range at which killing of a target may be accomplished.

An additional object of the instant invention is the provision of an underwater quick reload explosive Spearhead which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and eicient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble, utilize, and maint-ain.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of an explosive Spearhead carried by a spear shaft means in accordance with the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 particularly showing the device in the loaded position;

FIGURE 3 is a view Similar to FIGURE 2 showing the relationship of the parts after the Spearhead has impacted upon a target for tiring of the round of ammunition;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary exploded sectional View showing the relationship of the parts as a new round of ammunition is to be loaded into the Spearhead;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse cross-Sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 with the round of ammunition removed, and

FIGURE 6 is a form of the invention showing a hand held pistol employing the explosive charge.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, a device in accordance with the instant inventive concept is designated generally ICC by the reference numeral 10 and includes an explosive Spearhead 12 carried by a spear shaft means 14 which may be of any desired construction. It will be readily understood that the spear Shaft means 14 may be particularly designed for hand propulsion of the device or may be constructed for use with any conventional and wellknown spear launching means (not shown) which may be in the form of a gun, a bow, or the like. While the device of the instant invention is particularly designed for use under water, it will be readily seen that the inventive concept is applicable to other situations as well.

The explosive Spearhead 12 includes a breechblock 16 which is secured as by threading or the like 18 to the spear shaft means 14. The breechblock 16 has an annular cupshaped portion 20 defining a counterbore 22. A iiring pin 24 is secured to the breechblock in any conventional manner substantially centrally of the counterbore 22 with a terminal end portion 26 extending beyond the cupshaped portion 20 of the breechblock 16 for a purpose to be described in more detail hereinafter.

An outer barrel 28 is carried by the breechblock 16 and is secured thereto in any conventional manner in circum- Scribing relationship with respect to the tiring pin 24. The outer -barrel 28 includes an open end 30 extending in spaced relationship with respect to the terminal end portion 26 of the firing pin 24. An annular groove 32 in the breechblock 16 carries a Sealing means in the form of an O-ring or the like 34 to provide for the retention and the sealing of the outer barrel 28 to the breechblock 16.

A breechblock face 36 is slidably received within the outer barrel 28 and has a central aperture 38 aligned with the ring pin 24 and slidingly receiving the terminal end 26 thereof for tiring a round of ammunition as will be explained further hereinafter. The breechblock face 36 includes a boss 40 having `an annular groove 42 therein in which one end of a spring means 44 is secured, the other end of the spring means circumscribing the firing pin 24 and seating against the bottom of the counterbore 22 in the -breechblock 16. The spring means 44 normally urges the breechblock face 36 away from the firing pin 24 to the position shown in FIGURE 2.

An inner barrel 46 is slidably received within the outer barrel 28 in snugly fitting relation as clearly seen in FIG- URES 2 and 3, and has a first end 48 juxtaposed to the breechblock face 36 and a Second end 50 extending further from the firing pin 24 than the open end 30 of the outer barrel 28. The inside diameter of the inner barrel 46 is dimensioned to receive in sliding relationship the body portion 52 of a round of ammunition 54 which as shown in the drawing may be a conventional shotgun shell having an outstanding peripheral ejection flange 56 at one end of the body portion 52 with a primer 58 seated in a well at that end, the primer 58 communicating through a conventional vent with a quantity of propellant utilized to re buckshot or the like in a well known manner. It will be obvious that if the device of the instant invention is to be utilized under Water, the round of ammunition 54 must be waterproof. Similarly, although a conventional shotgun shell has been illustrated, it will be under stood that any conventional round of ammunition including cartridges having bullets or the like therein shall be utilized with the device of the instant invention, the individual elements being relatively dimensioned to receive the particular type of ammunition to be tired. As will be seen in the drawing the ejection flange 56 is engaged between the first end 48 of the inner barrel 46 and the breechblock face 36 with the primer 58 aligned with the aperture 38 in the breechblock face 36 for engagement by the terminal end portion 26 of the ring pin 24.

The use and operation of the device of the instant invention will now be apparent. The Spearhead 12 is loaded as shown particularly in FIGURE 4 by grasping the second end 50 of the inner barrel 46 and slidingly removing the inner barrel from the outer barrel 28. The body portion 52 of a round of ammunition 54 is then slid into the inner barrel 46 and the assembly of the inner barrel and the round of ammunition is then slid into the outer barrel 28 until the ejection flange 56 is engaged between the second end 48 of the inner barrel 46 and the breechblock face 36. During this procedure and the subsequent launching procedure the spring means 44 maintains the breechblock face 36 in spaced relationship to the firing pin 24 whereby the round of ammunition 54 will not be tired. The device is then launched in any conventional manner and upon impact of the second end 50 of the inner barrel 46 with a target, the inner barrel 46, the round of ammunition 54, and the breechblock face 36 are moved rearwardly within the outer barrel 28 against the urging of the spring means 54 until the terminal end portion 26 of the tiring pin 24 passes through the aperture 38 in the breechblock face 36 to piercingly engage the primer 58 and re the round of ammunition 54. It will be seen that the Spearhead 12 does not irnpale the target, but rather ejects the shot or other projectile and the expanding gases of the round directly into the target in a manner similar to a shaped charge.

A vent in the form of aligned apertures 60, 62 in the cup-shaped portion of the breechblock 16 and the outer barrel 28 allows for expelling any water or gas which may be trapped between the breechblock face 36 and the breechblock 16.

The device is also `adaptable for use in a hand-held pistol or the like, the pistol indicated at 70 in FIG. 6. In use, the end 50 of the barrel 46 is jammed against the game or target at close quarters to set off the charge in those cases where the limited space prevents use of the spear type embodiment of the invention as previously described.

Reloading of the device may be quickly and efliciently accomplished in an obvious manner.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved explosive Spearhead which may be utilized by hand propulsion or which may be launched by any conventional spear gun or launching means against a broad range of targets, marine or otherwise, offering as little as one-half square foot of area to the marksman and weighing as little as two pounds.

The above disclosure describes a device which satises all of the objectives of the instant invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant invention concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

An explosive Spearhead for use with a round of ammunition having a body portion, an outstanding peripheral ejection ange at one end of said body portion, and a primer at said one end, said explosive Spearhead comprising a breechblock, a tiring pin carried by said breechblock, an outer barrel of uniform smooth internal diameter carried by said breechblock in circumscribing relationship with respect to said ring pin and having an open end in spaced relationship to said firing pin, a breechblock face slidably received within said outer barrel, an aperture defined through said breechblock face in aligned relationship with said tiring pin, spring means normally urging said breechblock face away from said tiring pin, and inner barrel of smooth uniform external diameter slidably received within said outer barrel and having a rst end juxtaposed to said breechblock face and a second end extending further from said ring pin than said open end of said outer barrel, said inner barrel being slidably removable from the open outer end of said outer barrel and internally dimensioned to receive therein in sliding relationship said body portion of said round of ammunition and replaceable in said outer barrel with said ejection flange engaged between said rst end of said inner barrel and said breechblock face and said primer aligned with said aperture in said breechblock face, said inner barrel and said round of ammunition being retained in said outer barrel solely by the snug tting relation of said inner and outer barrels, said breechblock including an annular cup-shaped portion defining a counterbore, said ring pin being carried within said counterbore with a terminal end of the same extending suiciently beyond said cup-shaped portion to pass through said aperture on said breechblock face and piercingly engage said primer on movement of said breechblock face toward said breechblock against the urging of said spring means by impact of said second end of said inner barrel with a target, and vent means including aligned apertures in said outer `barrel and said cup-shaped portion of said breechblock, connecting the interior of said cup-shaped portion with the atmosphere.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,365,869 l/1921 Temple 42-1 2,395,354 2/1946 Temple 89-1 X 2,479,431 8/1949 Temple 89-1 X 3,145,494 8/1964 Willcox et al. 42-1 3,153,875 10/1964 Califano 102-48 X 3,210,877 10/1965 Liberatore 42-1 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Examiner. 

